Only one of two levies passed for the Fairbanks school district and that may mean a return to the drawing board for the district.
Superintendent Adham Schirg said even with one measure getting voted down Tuesday, he is happy that the other still passed, which allows a portion of the district’s facilities updates to move forward.
“The positive thing is, walking away, we can start work on phase two of the master facility plan,” he said. “Unfortunately, with the other not passing, that leaves us with about $23 million that we don’t have access to.”
The two measures Fairbanks had on the ballot were a .25% renewal tax that passed and an additional combined .25% income tax and 1.85 mil in property tax, which was voted down.
Out of 3,230 total votes, the renewal, which was also made a continuing levy, was approved by 1,856 votes with 1,374 votes against it.
The passage of that levy will allow the district to finance $11 million that will go to that phase two work, Schirg said. Phase two consists of, among other things, renovations to the middle and high school building. Phase one, which will bring several upgrades including an elementary school addition, will be paid for with current general and permanent improvement funds.
The second measure was voted down by a smaller margin, having 1,700 votes against it to 1,510 voting for it out of 3,210.
Schirg said although he doesn’t know what the board will do moving forward, there will definitely be conversations about strategy and approach that will continue to involve the community.
“The two biggest external factors we heard about were the perceptions and realities about the national economy and the increasing of property values,” he said. “We do recognize the pressure these two factors put on the community. We know it’s a big ask and we’re very fortunate to have a supportive community like Fairbanks.”
The superintendent sent a letter out to the community Wednesday morning that stressed the importance of continuing to work with the community.
“Strong school systems are a reflection of strong communities. Fairbanks is a strong school system in a strong community,” Schirg said in the letter. “We have a deep history of caring for and supporting each other. Our master facility plan will continue to help us build a shared future together.”
He said residents should keep an eye out for information from him and the board in the coming weeks.
The Village of Richwood, which also had two measures on the ballot, also had one that passed and one that didn’t. The one that passed was the renewal of a 3-mill parks levy that would go for five years. That received 333 votes for it and 258 votes against it.
More surprising was the voting down of a 3.2-mill operating levy that was to be renewed for covering village operational dollars. That received 305 votes against it and 281 for it.
Mayor Scott Jerew said the levy failure was discouraging but understandable.
“I’m happy that the parks levy passed, that’s important to us, but a little discouraged about the other one. But I get it, we’re all being taxed to death,” he said. “It just means we’re going to have to tighten our belts and might have to do away with some of things we’re used to now.”
Richwood also had a liquor license for the village’s VFW that passed with 210 votes in favor and 93 votes against it.
Also surprising this election round was the approval of both state issues. Union County voters sided with the state’s overall decisions, approving Issue 1, which adds abortion protections to the state’s constitution and Issue 2, which legalizes recreational marijuana usage.
Out of 25,610 total votes, 13,034 residents approved Issue 1 just barely above the 12,576 residents who voted against it.
The margin was similar on Issue 2, having 25,440 total votes, including 13,213 for it and 12,227 against it.
Other issues on the ballot included the passage of the Union County Board of Developmental Disabilities levy by a vote of 14,843 for and 10,181 aginst it.
Taylor Township’s 1.2 mill replacement levy failed with 499 voting for it and 559 against it but the 1 mill cemetery levy passed 357 to 311.
The Northwest Union Joint Fire District’s 1.5 mill levy passed with 167 votes for and 130 votes against it.
The Paris Township 5.9 mill fire and EMS 5.9 renewal levy passed 428 to 303. The township’s 0.5 mill PSO levy failed with 459 votes against it and 267 votes for it.
Union Township, including Milford Center, had a 4.6 mill renewal levy on the ballot that passed with 487 votes for it and 250 votes against it.
The North Union School District had a 0.67 mill renewal tax on the ballot, which passed with 1,373 votes for it and 1,267 votes against it.